Musical instruments may be awkward or heavy to support, particularly during lengthy practices or performances, which may result in the musician becoming fatigued, strained or tensioned and in some circumstances, physically stressed to the point of risking physical injury, potentially resulting in back, shoulder or neck injuries and/or repetitive strain injuries (RSI) such as tendinitis and other physical impairments, such as musculo-skeletal disorders (MSD) which may limit or end musical careers.
Previously, some musicians have utilized straps mounted to their musical instrument to support the musical instrument. However, these straps are generally positioned around the neck and on the shoulder of the musician, and while this may provide some relief to the musician's hands and arms, it nevertheless puts strain on the musician's neck and back. Furthermore, such straps are awkward to use properly and may result in poor posture during practices or performances, causing misalignment of the body's natural symmetry and attendant medical problems
It is desirable to have a musical instrument support device which does not require the musician to bear any or all of the load of the musical instrument, while at the same time, permitting the musical instrument to be moved and manipulated and played effectively and in a natural manner by the musician during practices and/or performances.
It is also desirable to have a musical instrument support device which allows the musical instrument to be supported for the purposes of display, and/or maintenance work, such as, in the case of a guitar, the changing of the strings, or tuning of the guitar.